A wheelchair bound pensioner has been banned from keeping animals for ten years after admitting he could not cope with his dog.

Teesside magistrates court was told yesterday that Colin Tyreman's Middlesbrough home was visited by the RSPCA last August.

Inspector Garry Palmer peered into Tyreman's house on Cottingham Drive and saw the dog, Judy, looking thin but saw no sign of food or water, prosecutor Tim Bishop told the court.

Two days later Inspector Palmer returned to Tyreman's home and this time found the 66-year-old at home.

He saw Tyreman's dog and noted it was so thin its hips and spine were prominent and that it smelled of excrement.

The court heard Tyreman immediately gave the animal over to the RSPCA for rehoming.

A vet examined the dog, Mr Bishop told the court, and found no organic reason for the dog's emaciated state.

In an interview with the RSPCA, Tyreman, who pleaded guilty to animal cruelty at an earlier hearing, said he fed the dog a can of food a day and that although he tried to exercise it as often as possible he could not cope with a pet, Mr Bishop told the court.

Liz McGowan, mitigating, said: "His physical difficulties led to him neglecting the dog rather than him wanting to cause suffering.

"The dog is now being fed and cared for properly and he is very pleased the dog is in good health.

"Although there was no intention to cause suffering he's accepted the dog must have suffered as it wasn't treated properly."

The magistrates gave Tyreman a six month conditional discharge, banned him from keeping animals for ten years and ordered him to pay £50 of the RSPCA's £500 costs.

Speaking after the hearing, Inspector Palmer said: "People should be aware that keeping an animal and not caring for it in an appropriate manner is not acceptable. The dog in this case had not been properly cared for so we took action."